A recent study just published in Environmental Science & Technology identified the toxicological risks of environmental pollutants to finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis). Manmade chemicals synthesized for human activities threaten the health of marine mammals. These chemicals, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs), have long been known to accumulate at high levels in many dolphin species. The POPs levels of finless porpoises inhabiting the Seto Inland Sea are higher than those of other cetacean species distributed in the waters near Japan, and the effects of toxicity have been a concern. Nevertheless, ecotoxicological studies of wild dolphins are difficult due to legal and ethical considerations, and information is lacking. Researchers in the Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, together with collaborators, have successfully isolated the fibroblast cells from a finless porpoise stranded in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan revealing the toxicological risk of pollutants of concern in the local population.
Click here for original story, Cell death in porpoises caused by environmental pollutants
Source: Phys.org